This is a movement we support as a company. Around two thirds of Australian women are now in favour of a rethink on holding Australia Day on January 26, compared with51 per centof men. Then, tune in at 8:00pm on Monday, June 21 to watch hosts Annabel Crabb and Nazeem Hussain take you through the key findings and explore the survey with some of Australia's best-loved celebrities. January 26 is the legacy of the horrific past and the connection of this trauma to the present. function external_links_in_new_windows_load(func) Its also not like this day has been celebrated for a very long time. In 1994, when Australia Day was fixed to January 26, then-prime minister Paul Keating suggested the view each of us might form of our nation depended on individual perspectives and opportunities. // console.log('force ' + all_links.href); Australia has a long way to go. Combining eons of their own advances in sciencewith long standing trade relations with Muslim neighbours, First Peoples were already on an enviable trajectory. Australia Day has become the annual starters gun for all the rabid racists to complain about how we objectors hate Australia & disrespect diggers, when in reality it because we love the ancient . That was not the . There is growing opinion that although January 26th is Australia Day, the celebration of Australia Day on January 26th does not allow all Australians to join in celebrating Australia's greatness, and every day we get to spend being part of this great Nation and the opportunities it gives us is an 'Australia Day' we celebrate separately, so why not choose a day that we can All celebrate . It is insensitive and exclusive, it is no longer taken seriously, and the 26th doesn't mean as much as we think. Fifty-nine percent of survey respondents agreed the Black Lives Matter movement, which gained renewed tractionlast year after the murder of George Floyd in the US, was making an important contribution to conversations about racial injustice in Australia. It was inconsiderate to have changed the date in 1994 to the 26th January. In fact,every year around December, the debate starts over again. if(document.links[t].hasAttribute('onClick') == false) { It's become one of the nation's most divisive days, and now it appears Australians are rapidly changing their minds over whether the 26th of January is the most appropriate date to celebrate our nation. Therefore, Australia Day should be changed to a more appropriate date that truly represents Australians at our finest. More than half (53%) of millennials (those born between 1986 and 2002) think we should not celebrate Australia Day on January 26. The date - 26 January - is the anniversary of the 1788 landing of Britain's First Fleet, which began the era of colonisation. There are many things we want to celebrate about Australia, but 26 January doesn't represent an inclusive day for everyone. j.async = true; Today is not a protest: we gather to reflect on why this date is better than any of the other 364 days. The changing of the date of Australia Day would broadcast our sincerity and hope for reconciliation for what the first settlers committed. new Date().getTime(), event: 'gtm.js' And why would the Australian government want to remind them every year of what was done to them? As more organisations seek to observe the history of the date, his two teenage daughters, Sienna-Swan and Krystal-Rose, perform at multiple ceremonies each year. If it doesnt really matter to most people when Australia Day is held, but it does to the Aboriginal community, then why not just change the date of Australia Day? display: none !important; Ive written about that date before, its origins and forgotten storiesand recent almost-comical attempts to protect a public holiday. 3. "It's a very significant day for the foundation of Australia, and . Read more stories fromThe Latchand follow us onFacebook. You could also lobby your local council to stop holding citizenship ceremonies on January 26. Why should Australia Day be changed? j = d.createElement( s ), dl = l != 'dataLayer' ? We cannot seek an end to the oppression of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by cajoling the broad majority of Australians with soft entreaties of change the date. ABN 32 144 560 172 Not only is the date inaccurate about the First Fleet landing, but more than that, why is Australia as a nation that considers itself a humanitarian one, celebrating the day when the annihilation of the 500 indigenous groups began? The second argument is to change the date of the Australia Day celebration, moving any sort of revelry away from a day that is devastating for Indigenous people. We invest in companies to have a positive impact on the planet, people and animals. Its like an official slap in the face of the Aboriginal people. As one Aboriginal person said, You dont visit someones house, rape, and pillage them, and then tell them you are going to celebrate that day as their birthday.. // As the majority of the Australian population is non-Indigenous, it speaks to the beginning of this part of Australias history. Each year a person is named Australian of . There are no sound reasons why the date shouldn't be changed but there are plenty of reasons why the nation needs to change. Itll help, promise. While it has been celebrated in NSW as far back as 1818, weve only been doing it as a united country for a couple of decades. var change_link = false; What is Australia Day to Aboriginals? None of those things can only be done on the 26th of January, and if it was on any other day then maybe more Indigenous people would feel like celebrating with the rest of the nation. If you are interested in our services or have any specific questions, please send us an enquiry. WATCH: Do Uni Students Have Skin Care Routines? January 26 does have historical significance. For decades, January 26 has been observed as a day of mourning for Aboriginal and Torres Islander people. Specialising in community engagement and digital product growth Nebras has over 15 years experience in designing and delivering executable audience growth and content strategies across a range of leading industries and countries. 8 Reasons Why The Date for Australia Day Should Be Changed. Of course, many employees can choose to take both days off, so they can be with their families. Australia Day is marked on 26 January every year with a national public holiday. func(); I should know, because thats the entire premise of the book I spent the past year writing: breaking down the arguments and counter-arguments of important social issues to help young people speak up about the stuff they really care about. Our treatment of Indigenous peoples, of asylum seekers, of the homeless, of the unemployed, of women, of veterans, of pensioners (the list goes on and on) is not great. When it comes to January 26, instead of organising a party with friends, consider attending an Invasion Day rally. You came here only recently, and you took our land away from us by force. Many companies have actually started giving their employees another day off, like January 27th, and leaving January 26th as a working day. And they are wrong for seven reasons. // console.log('Changed ' + all_links.href); So, before you get into a Facebook comment war with a profile picture of a V8 Commodore, read the below excerpt from How to Win Every Argument: A No-Filter Guide to Being Right About Everything. The first is the type that Malcolm Turnbull gave in parliament. // console.log('Changed ' + all_links.href); Why not share this news? Post continues below. Many Australians might not care which day Australia Day is held on, but for others, it is a day of major celebrations. document.links[t].setAttribute('onClick', 'javascript:window.open(\''+all_links.href+'\'); return false;'); Kamilaroi dancer Russell Dawson's cultural education and performance company Koomurri Entertainment has seen a rise in bookings on Australia Day. As the national conversation continues to be debated, we think its important to reflect on the ever-present reality the date signifies for our nations First Peoples. Tomorrow must come In most other nations, the national day marks independence (often from the British) or foundation. Nayuka Gorrie, No Matter Which Day the Country Chooses to Host Its Australia Day, I Will Not Be Participating, NITV, 24 January 2019. Its time to rethink our decision to celebrate a day that is painful for so many. There are no sound reasons why the date shouldnt be changed but there are plenty of reasons why the nation needs to change. 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